A sordid breakup and a precarious financial situation force a young Hannah Pierce to reevaluate her life.  Determined to establish an independent footing for herself and buoyed by the example of her friend, Megan, Ms. Pierce lands on a remarkable decision – buying a boat and calling it home! The result, Argie Bargie, a 45-foot ex-leisure cruiser in royal blue, moored in Teddington, West London.  All Boats are Sinking is a life affirming memoir of candour, conviction, confession and camaraderie.

The book is not only about the nuances and techniques of living on a boat. It is primarily about taking the adversities hurled by life at an unsuspecting person head on. Ms. Pierce faces a daunting prospect when after impulsively purchasing the boat, she is required to comply with a set of extremely demanding regulations and conventions. For example, a boat needs to be moved every fortnight from its original mooring place to a new one. Then there is the fundamental issue of waste disposal. As the author herself writes in the book, an invariable question posed by curious acquaintances, being “how do you dispose off your poop?” Caring two hoots for squeamishness, Ms. Pierce proceeds to provide a detailed overview of the “options” a “boater” has in getting rid of bodily waste.

The book is a carefully thought about blend of wit and reminiscence. Replete with lists and hacks, it also acts as an invaluable primer for all adventurous souls thinking about calling a boat home. The ‘lists’ span an entire spectrum from the silly to the sublime. There are lists of things that have contacted water, only to be irretrievably lost, culinary delights prepared within the confines of the boat, boat-themed gifts received by the author, the worst things about living on a boat,  culinary disasters, and necessities which one must always be mindful of while navigating a boat, amongst others.

The reader also gets a healthy insight into the tightly knit boating community where fellow boat owners help their neighbours in the maintenance and upkeep of boats, freely dispensing invaluable advice and timely tips. The core of the book, however, dwells on an audacious journey undertaken by the author when she takes her boat up north from London to Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Navigating more than 250 “locks” (a length of water with gates at each end where the level of water can be changed to allow boats to move between parts of a canal or river that are at different heights), Ms. Pierce manages to accomplish the impossible. In between she also squeezes in time for a virtual run of the London Marathon (the original being cancelled on account of the COVID-19 pandemic).

The long journey is an agglomeration of thrills and spills. From getting stuck in a very complicated lock and facing the prospect of drowning, to meeting some incredible personalities on the way (boxing legend Tyson Fury being one such persona), the author undergoes a cathartic experience.

All Boats are Sinking – a compelling and energetic read! I would be sure to pay a visit to the Argie Bargie when I happen to be in London next!